Gezi protests return to Turkish headlines after latest arrests
Erdogan lashes out at opposition for questioning his take on who was behind the 2013 Gezi protests; various political parties discuss deals for March 2019 local elections.
ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the opposition Wednesday for condemning his arrest of 14 academics in what was seen as a crackdown on liberal civil society, in particular the group run by the respected businessman-philanthropist Osman Kavala.
Without naming Kavala, Erdogan accused him of financing the Gezi Park protests of 2013, and added: “Who is behind him? The famous Hungarian Jew George Soros.”
The leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, had attacked the government for its predawn detention of 14 academics who allegedly had ties to Anadolu Kultur (Anatolian Culture), a nonprofit organization founded by Kavala that uses cultural and artistic exchanges to promote harmony among Turkey’s ethnic and religious groups.
Kilicdaroglu said the aim of the arrests was to find evidence against Kavala, who has been in detention for 13 months without any charge being filed.
